Taking issue with two decades of research findings in the politically charged arena of gay parenting, two USC professors say sexual orientation of parents makes more of a difference than researchers have been willing to admit.
In a paper reexamining data from 21 studies dating to 1980, the USC sociologists argue that, while the emotional health of the children raised by homosexual and heterosexual parents is essentially the same, they diverge in some notable ways that have been downplayed. Most of the children studied were raised by women, a factor that--apart from sexual orientation--may contribute to the differences.
The paper, published this week in the American Sociological Review, finds that the offspring of lesbians and gays are more likely to depart from traditional gender roles than the children of heterosexual couples. They are more open to same-sex relationships, the study says. Teenage boys are more sexually restrained than peers in heterosexual households, while teenage girls show the opposite trend, the researchers concluded.
Authors Judith Stacey and Timothy J. Biblarz suggest the differences have been glossed over because gay parenting is such a volatile issue.
Some states bar adoptions and foster-parenting by lesbians and gay men. Family courts have taken children away from a gay parent and awarded custody to a straight relative or former spouse.
In defending the parental rights of homosexuals, gay activists have pointed to research as evidence that the sexual orientation of a parent makes no difference.
Stacey, a sociology professor who also holds an endowed chair in contemporary gender studies at USC, said the approach of researchers is understandable given the stakes involved. But she maintains that it has stifled discussion of some intriguing issues of gender and sexuality.
University of Virginia psychology professor Charlotte J. Patterson, whose work is among the studies examined in the paper, said she thought Stacey and Biblarz were adopting a more dramatic interpretation of the differences than she would. But she welcomed the review.
"It's a real contribution to the discussion. I think it's important to raise these issues," Patterson said. "It will help to generate further research, which we need in this area."
The USC paper primarily surveyed studies of the biological children of lesbians. Because there is very little research on gay male parents, the authors do not attempt to distinguish between parenting of gay men and lesbians.
